Taking a Break on the Slick Rock Trail

We rented mountain bikes and rode Moab's famous slick rock trail. I think Chris really bonded with the sport. He likes exercise, challenge, working the controls, going fast, and the thrill of always being on the verge of crashing. I used to mountain bike a lot in Indiana and had high hopes but the trail was just too darn hard for me. The downs were so steep I was afraid to ride down them, the ups so steep I could hardly push the bike up them. The wind howled consistently and it always seemed to be a headwind. Whoever designed the trail chose absolutely the most difficult route navigating through miles of petrified sand dunes, so it seemed. Even the practice loop kicked my butt.

The scenery was beautiful and it was amazing to see how well bike tires gripped slick rock. I can see why the trail is world famous- it's kind of like a roller coaster on a bicycle. Skill, nerves, and muscles necessary. Later in the week we found a trail that better suited me. Weeeeee!